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Marco Andretti will be part of an IndyCar test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

The Izod IndyCar Series set a goal of 220 mph in testing on Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Faster laps will be a bonus.

Technical chief Will Phillips said he wants to see laps in that bracket because if the new DW12 can do that in race trim, as teams generally test, then it can go 225 mph in qualifying trim.

Phillips said 225 mph was the speed he asked Dallara to be able to reach when production began last fall.

“That was the target,” he said.

However, the early versions of the car struggled with weight issues at Indy, making cornering unpredictable for drivers Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan in the fall test. That also caused a backlash from the fans who expected more.

Qualifying has been in the 227-mph bracket the past two years, with Alex Tagliani winning last year's pole at 227.472 mph. IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard initially teased fans with talk of a new track record with this car--Arie Luyendyk ran a lap of 237.498 mph in 1996--but that's not where series officials now want the speeds to be.

Of course, speeds this week depend a lot on the engine manufacturers doing their thing, and Chevrolet and Honda will try to oblige. Lotus will not participate because the engine supply isn't sufficient coming off last weekend's race at Barber Motorsports Park.

Each team has been offered a chance to take one car to the test, but no rookies will be allowed on the track until the official Rookie Orientation Program on May 10.

Nine veteran drivers, including two former 500 winners, will participate this week. They include: